I have just read a piece in a WhatsApp group which effusively argued that the late Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o considered language as “liberation”, hence his rejection of his Western Christian name, James, and adoption of his Kikuyu name, as well as reverting to writing in his native language in the late 1970s and advocating for writing in African languages.
The piece said: “He argues that writing in European languages alienates Africans from their own culture. His name itself—untranslated and unapologetically Kikuyu—symbolizes this stand: language is a tool of both colonization and liberation.”
My response to that piece is that in today’s world, most African writers unfortunately take more delight in their prowess to write in the European colonial languages in any given genre. Some even despise vernacular language literature, seeing it as inferior. Even translation from their colonial language corpus is not encouraged. All the major literary prizes are awarded to colonial language writing, and African writers associations are the main promoters of this venture. In Nigeria, almost all the writers associations (with the exception of some great, though unreported efforts up North) are falling over themselves in promoting writing in English to the point of a frenzy. Mentorship, webinars, conferences, etc., are strictly for English speaking writers!
About two decades ago, the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) tried to support writing in the indigenous languages, as indicated by the theme of its annual conference held in Kaduna. I was the publicity secretary of the association then. Since that time, mum has been the word on the subject.
In this sense, can Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o be seen to have succeeded in his mission of the decolonisation of African minds when members of his primary constituency – the African literati – have refused to serve as his apostles?
